Friday, February 18, 2011

Sad day - Feb 17, 2011

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this post. After two horrible days of watching mom fight for breath, and the only options being hospital and ventilator or Hospice, Dad and I chose and called Hospice this morning.


What that means is that right now she is still here at home, and she is getting no meds/needles, etc., except those needed for pain relief. Mom’s mind was clear last night and this morning, and she knows and condones the choice we made.

Now it is in God’s hands – she is a strong woman, and even though her lungs and heart are working triple time, she could conceivably be with us for a month or more – but by the same token, she could be gone next week.

If you are close enough to visit, please do so…if not, please say a prayer that mom suffers no more – and that Dad and I are strong enough to get through this for her.

Thanks so much for your good wishes and prayers – they mean the world to us!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Feb - takin' care of mom...2011

So...here it is, Feb 8th, 2011.  Last time I updated I was embroiled in the RV lifestyle as manager of Lone Star Corral in Hondo, TX.  Someone thought that it was time to be flexible...I got a call from my Dad Dec 27th that mom was back in the hospital - could I come.  Well, my folks rarely ask for my help, so Jan 1 I flew from San Antonio to Pgh, PA...mom stayed in the hospital in Meyersdale for three weeks, recovering from pnemonia. 

We brought her home and within a week she had a stroke.  So, off to Somerset Hospital...then to Meadow View Nursing/Rehab facility.  Fifteen days of that, and we finally were able to bring her home last Friday, Feb 4th. 

Our days are filled with physical therapy exercises, breathing treatments, and mind games, hand eye coordination exercises, and memory games.  It is devastating to watch her struggle to put together a 25 piece jigsaw puzzle, when she used to think nothing of sitting down to a 1,000 piece puzzle and call it fun. 

I want to thank everyone at Lone Star Corral for their wonderful understanding - and also to the new managers, who agreed to come in a month early to take over running the park - and to our assistant managers, who stepped up to a 40 hour work week instead of 16...  Most of all I'd like to thank my partner and love of my life, David, for encouraging me to do whatever I need to insure the folks are ok...and for 'batching it' while I do so!

I'm hoping to get back to the park by the end of March, beginning of April.  David and I have a wonderful trip planned to get the motorhome back here to PA by the end of the summer - and we still hope to do it, God willing. 

I am cherishing each and every day with Mom & Dad.  I hope to have a real travel blog again by mid April...and I'll try to update this one sooner :)

Tonight I made bbq'd country style ribs, baked red potatoes, corn, salad and we topped it off with home made plum pie...yum yum!

Have a great Valentine's day all!